Antique gears up for WVRAA games

SAN JOSE, Antique, Jan. 23 — The Schools Division of Antique and the provincial government are in the thick of preparations for the hosting of the Western Visayas Regional Athletic (WVRA) meet slated on Febraury 8 to 13, 2014.

OIC Sports Coordinator Roger Jomolo said more than 2,000 athletes, coaches and sports officials from the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Aklan and Guimaras are coming to Antique for the games.

The province of Capiz will not be joining this year’s regional meet because of super typhoon "Yolanda’s" devastation in the province.

With only two weeks to go before the opening games on February 8, Jomolo expressed confidence everything will be in place especially the Binirayan Sports Complex where repairs are being rushed up including the re-roofing of the grandstand and the repainting of the athletes’ grandstand.

“We have the assurance from the contractor that they will be able to complete repairs in time. As of now, the re-roofing is 70 percent complete,” Jomolo said.

On the other hand, Assistant Sports Coordinator Celestino Dalumpines said he will be meeting with key officials of the provincial government to check on their various requests and needs like the athletes’ uniforms which had been a perennial problem in the past years.

“We are making sure our sad experience in the past will not happen this time. At this point in time, our preparation is going smoothly,” Dalumpines said, adding that the provincial government has already released funds intended for the food for athletes.